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    Big Book of Pretty & Playful Appliqué: 150+ Designs, 4 Quilt Projects Cats & Dogs at Play, Gardens in Bloom, Feathered Friends & More
    Big Book of Pretty & Playful Appliqué: 150+ Designs, 4 Quilt Projects Cats & Dogs at Play, Gardens in Bloom, Feathered Friends & More
    Big Book of Pretty & Playful Appliqué: 150+ Designs, 4 Quilt Projects Cats & Dogs at Play, Gardens in Bloom, Feathered Friends & More
    Ebook557 pages2 hours

    Big Book of Pretty & Playful Appliqué: 150+ Designs, 4 Quilt Projects Cats & Dogs at Play, Gardens in Bloom, Feathered Friends & More

    By Carol Armstrong

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Add a lively touch of nature to your quilting with this massive collection of realistic flora and fauna appliqué designs.

    Carol Armstrong's stunning garden quilts and true-to-life critters have changed the way we appliqué. Now her best work is featured together in a single volume—a treasure trove of appliqué delights! Sew one hundred and sixty patterns from blooming flowers and birds in flight to household pets as loveable as your own dog or cat. Learn how to trace designs using a lightbox, and practice with four projects to showcase any combination of designs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateAug 1, 2018
    ISBN9781617457265
    Big Book of Pretty & Playful Appliqué: 150+ Designs, 4 Quilt Projects Cats & Dogs at Play, Gardens in Bloom, Feathered Friends & More

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      Book preview

      Big Book of Pretty & Playful Appliqué - Carol Armstrong

      PUBLISHER: Amy Marson

      CREATIVE DIRECTOR / COMPILER: Gailen Runge

      ACQUISITIONS EDITOR: Roxane Cerda

      MANAGING EDITOR: Liz Aneloski

      DEVELOPMENTAL EDITORS: Liz Aneloski, Stacy Chamness, Jake Finch, Lynn Koolish, Barbara Konzak Kuhn, and Cyndy Lyle Rymer

      TECHNICAL EDITORS: Ann Haley, Karyn Hoyt, Peggy Kass, Sara Kate MacFarland, Wendy Mathson, and Teresa Stroin

      COVER/BOOK DESIGNER: April Mostek

      PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Zinnia Heinzmann

      PRODUCTION EDITOR: Jennifer Warren

      ILLUSTRATORS: Wendy Mathson, Kirstie L. Pettersen, Norman Remer, and Richard Sheppard

      PHOTOGRAPHY by Christina Carty-Francis, Luke Mulks, Diane Pedersen, and Sharon Risedorph, unless otherwise noted

      Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

      This book is dedicated to all the people at C&T Publishing who have worked on my books over the years, making them such a success.

      —Carol Armstrong

      Happy twentieth book anniversary, Carol!

      We began working with Carol Armstrong on her first book, Wildflowers, more than 20 years ago. It was published in 1998 and sold more than 20,000 copies its first year. 9 more beautiful books followed.

      Carol was a pioneer of the slow-stitch movement. In 1986 she and her craftsman husband moved from the busy city to a rural area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There she thrived, creating her quilts and her books without electricity (or running water!). She typed her manuscripts and did all her sewing by hand. According to Carol, the wonderful snowy winters gave her time to do lots of quilting. When her fingers and eyes needed a break, there was always water to pump and bring into the house, wood to load into the woodbox, bird feeders to fill, or the large organic vegetable garden to tend.

      The joy she takes in her environment and her design process is evident in each design. It’s a sense of joy she likes to share. Carol says it best:

      If you are new to appliqué, welcome to hand stitching and quilting. The informal techniques that you will learn will soon be effortless. If you have already enjoyed appliqué, my journey into design will add to your experience. For everyone, I wish you the same fun I have when creating appliqué.

      Her designs are timeless and beautifully executed, and we are delighted to be presenting them here as part of a carefully curated collection.

      —Amy Marson, Publisher

      Tools and Materials

      Tools

      LIGHTBOX

      My method of appliqué uses a lightbox to make the tracing of designs easier. Many sizes and styles are available in art, craft, and some quilt shops. As a substitute, you can use a window on a sunny day or a glass table with a low-wattage lamp underneath.

      NEEDLES

      For appliqué, I use a size 10 milliners needle, which is relatively long. Its length is good when needle-turning appliquéd edges. A straw needle is also a good option.

      For embroidery, choose a needle with a large eye for easy threading of floss. I use sizes 8–10.

      For quilting, I use a sharps size 10 for stitching without a frame or hoop. A betweens needle is best for the rocking motion if you quilt with a frame or hoop.

      For basting, a long, large needle is nice for quick work.

      CUTTING TOOLS

      For cutting out shapes, a large pair of good scissors works well. Keep them sharp.

      For cutting threads and snipping into curves when appliquéing, a small pair of scissors that snips down to its tips is excellent.

      For cutting borders and bindings, and squaring appliquéd panels, I suggest a rotary cutter, ruler, and gridded cutting mat.

      MARKING TOOLS

      Many removable fabric marking pens and pencils are available. I use a standard wash-out or water-erasable blue fabric marker for most fabrics, and a white version for dark fabrics. Check your favorite quilt store for the options. I use these markers for both appliqué and quilting. They should come out easily with a little water. Always test a new pen or pencil for removability. Be sure to remove all marks before ironing, as the heat from the iron may make the marks impossible to remove.

      A cotton swab dipped in water makes a good eraser for water-erasable marker and avoids wetting the whole piece.

      PINS

      Use short glass-headed pins to hold appliqué pieces in place as you stitch; because they are short, they stay out of your way as you appliqué. Standard silk pins are fine for all basic sewing tasks.

      THIMBLE

      I use a leather thimble on my pushing finger when quilting. Many different kinds of thimbles are available to protect your fingers. They all feel awkward at first, but a thimble is worth using. You may need to try several until you find the one that best suits your sewing style.

      IRON

      A good steam iron and a padded pressing surface are basic sewing tools. I press appliqué from the back on a folded white towel with some steam.

      Materials

      THREAD

      Good thread makes nice stitches.

      For appliqué, use cotton or cotton-wrapped polyester thread. Try to match the thread to the appliqué fabric as closely as possible in natural light. For a better match, lay a single strand of the thread across the fabric for comparison, rather than using the whole spool.

      For basting, use a white cotton thread.

      For quilting, use thread specifically designed for hand quilting. I have used many brands and have been happy with most of them. I use quilting thread with extra beeswax for sewing on beads.

      For the flower details, use embroidery floss. I keep a wide palette of colors on hand.

      FABRIC

      Where to begin? A trip to your local quilt shop is a good start. Lightweight 100% cotton fabrics are best for appliqué. Cotton fabric is very cooperative with simple finger-pressing and needle-turn appliqué. Good-quality fabrics create good-quality quilts.

      I use an unbleached, preshrunk muslin for my backgrounds and backings. I like the way it shows off the quilted designs.

      I do not prewash my fabrics, but I color test a small piece in a little warm water first if I suspect that the dye might run. If you will be washing the finished quilt you should prewash the fabrics.

      Color? Your choices are many. For appliqué, I use solids, tone-on-tones, batiks, and other variegated or mottled shades. But don’t skip looking at those larger prints. Cut a stencil of a leaf or petal or area of fur and lay it in various places on a print. You may find just the right color in an unexpected place. You can also find color transitions that are perfect. For example, I cut crocus petals from printed lemons (see Crocus). For cats, look for fabric designs that resemble cat fur, shadowed tone-on-tones, and some solid colors in the same family.

      For the border, binding, and appliquéd patches, select from any and all designs to coordinate with your flower colors.

      I keep a nice stash of fabrics on hand for those last-minute choices. My stash is always growing and changing.

      Specialty Fabrics: Although I have appliquéd some eyes with cotton fabrics, the small pieces can prove difficult for beginning fingers. One solution is to use a faux suede fabric, which comes in different weights and colors. This material does not fray, so eyes can be cut out to size and set in place with fabric glue. The suede also accepts markers and paints. For more about this method, see Faux Suede Eyes.

      Extras: I use fabric glue for some eye construction. There are many brands of glue available. For coloring eyes, I use permanent markers, as well as fabric paints. There is lots of room for creativity here, so feel free to experiment and play with various materials.

      BATTING

      I use a needle-punched polyester batting. It is rather like a thin, light blanket. It is easy to hand quilt and it really highlights the quilted designs. You can also use a lightweight cotton batting suitable for hand quilting; it will be less dimensional than the polyester. Try a test square of each for comparison.

      Extras: For coloring eyes, I use permanent art pens such as Pigma brand, especially for black. For colors, I like the new gel pens. A touch of white acrylic paint works well for the glint in each eye. Any fabric glue will adhere the eyes in place. (I use Aleene’s Tacky Glue.) The scrapbooking section of your craft shop will provide many options for pens, paints, and glues. It is fun trying new products.

      SUPPLIES FOR PAINTING EYES

      Muslin

      Freezer paper (optional)

      Tube acrylic, fabric, or craft paints (colors of paint used: blue, white, black, iridescent gold, rust, and pink)

      Tiny paintbrush

      Black paint pen (I use a Setaskrib+; a Pigma pen will also work.)

      Toothpick

      Fabric glue

      Acrylic gloss varnish (optional)

      FLOWER EMBELLISHMENTS

      Who can resist the temptation of all the buttons, yarns, lace, and beads that are so readily available these days? Any flower with a circle center is a great candidate for a button. A bit of lace or decorative yarn can highlight your favorite flowers. Beads, craft wire, and faux suede add other creative possibilities. Don’t forget about fussy cutting, either. Fussy cutting allows for color changes within a single appliquéd piece. Look at large prints for flower petals and leaves hiding within the pattern.

      Play with your own combinations of embellishments and extras, prowl around knit shops for some fun ideas, and make each flower your very own!

      Below is a list of materials, other than fabric, that I used for various embellishments. See projects and appliqué instructions for specific uses.

      Beads: Seed beads, 6 mm beads, bugle beads

      Ribbon: ⅛˝ wide, satin

      Perle cotton thread #5

      Craft wire: 28 gauge, gold colored

      Laces, tatting

      Yarns: Chenille and specialty varieties

      Waxed thread

      Buttons

      Fabric paints

      Gel pens

      Faux suede

      I also used the following:

      Fusible web to make some fringed fabric

      Washable glue stick to hold small items in place prior to sewing

      Wire snips

      Beeswax to strengthen thread for sewing on buttons and beads

      Your list can include these items and more. Embellishment is all about trying new things.

      Appliqué Basics

      This is appliqué made simple. I have eliminated the need for templates, freezer paper, or overlays. With a little preparation of the appliqué pieces, you get right to sewing.

      Preparing the Appliqué

      Draw or trace your appliqué pattern on plain white paper in black marker. If you are new to appliqué, work on a small project and enlarge a motif to avoid using very small pieces.

      Secure your pattern to the lightbox with masking tape.

      Cut

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